Plunger Mechanism for Paste Ingredient Division
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional devices for quantitatively dividing paste ingredients, such as those used in food production systems for spring rolls and gyoza, often damage the ingredients due to gear pumps, leading to impaired texture and flavor, and have complex structures requiring extensive assembly and disassembly times, hindering productivity.
Innovation Solution
A quantitative division unit with a peripheral wall, first and second plungers, and a drive unit that moves the plungers through distinct states to introduce and discharge paste ingredients using negative pressure, eliminating the need for a gear pump and simplifying the device configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a gear pump is used to feed paste ingredient, then the ingredient can be quantitatively divided and fed, but the solid ingredient is finely cut or crushed and food texture is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gear pump from the system entirely, extracting the harmful component that causes ingredient damage. Instead of using a gear pump for quantitative division, the invention employs a cylindrical chamber with a plunger mechanism that divides and feeds paste ingredients without the crushing action of gear teeth, thereby preserving food texture while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gear pump system with a plunger-based cylindrical chamber system. This substitution eliminates the harmful mechanical cutting and crushing actions of gear teeth while achieving the same quantitative division and feeding function through controlled plunger movement and pressure application.
2Productivity
If a pressure pump is added to the quantitative division device, then the ingredient can be pumped toward the cylinder, but the number of parts increases and device structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pressure generation function and the quantitative division function into a single integrated cylindrical chamber system. The plunger mechanism simultaneously creates the necessary pressure to move the paste ingredient and performs the quantitative division, eliminating the need for a separate pressure pump and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical chamber with plunger serves multiple functions: it acts as both the pressure generation device and the quantitative division device. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate pressure pump and division mechanism, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining full functionality.
3Productivity
If a gear pump is used for quantitative division, then the ingredient can be fed to subsequent device, but the device requires extensive assembly and disassembly time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the quantitative division device with a modular cylindrical chamber that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The chamber, plunger, and associated components are segmented into separate parts that can be quickly connected and disconnected, significantly reducing assembly and disassembly time compared to integrated gear pump systems while maintaining continuous ingredient feeding capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurate division of paste ingredients is achieved while preventing damage, improving food texture and productivity by simplifying the device structure and reducing assembly and disassembly times.
Implementation Method 1
moves at least one of the first plunger and the second plunger to shift the first plunger and the second plunger from a first driving state to a second driving state where the first plunger and the second plunger are separated from each other, so as to introduce the paste ingredient between the first plunger and the second plunger via the first port due to a negative pressure generated in an area of the internal space between the first plunger and the second plunger
Implementation Method 2
moves at least one of the first plunger and the second plunger to bring the first plunger and the second plunger close to each other to shift the first plunger and the second plunger from the third driving state to a fourth driving state where the first plunger and the second plunger are arranged in such a manner that the space or the contact surface between the first plunger and the second plunger is located at a position facing the second port, so as to feed the paste ingredient between the first plunger and the second plunger to outside via the second port
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a quantitative division unit, a quantitative division method, and a food production method capable of accurately quantitatively dividing a paste ingredient while preventing the damage of the ingredient. A first plunger and a second plunger are shifted from a first driving state to a second driving state in such a manner that the paste ingredient is introduced between the first plunger and the second plunger via a first port due to a negative pressure generated in the area of an internal space between the first plunger and the second plunger. The first plunger and the second plunger are shifted from the second driving state to a third driving state where at least a part of the paste ingredient between the first plunger and the second plunger is disposed so as to face the second port. The first plunger and the second plunger are then shifted from the third driving state to a fourth driving state so as to feed the paste ingredient to the outside via the second port.